Boston Municipal Court

Boston Municipal Court
(BMC)
The Edward W. Brooke Courthouse, 24 New Chardon Street, Boston houses the Administrative Office of the Boston Municipal Court Department and is home to the Central Division.
Established	February 23, 1822
Jurisdiction	Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Location	Boston Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°21′47″N 71°03′42″W / 42.363007°N 71.061544°W / 42.363007; -71.061544Coordinates: 42°21′47″N 71°03′42″W / 42.363007°N 71.061544°W / 42.363007; -71.061544
Decisions are appealed to	Appellate Division of the Boston Municipal Court (Civil) Massachusetts Appeals Court (Criminal)
Number of positions	30
Website	mass.gov/courts
Chief Justice
Currently	Roberto Ronquillo, Jr.
Since	2013
Lead position ends	2018

The Boston Municipal Court (BMC), officially the Boston Municipal Court Department of the Trial Court, is a department of the Trial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The court hears criminal, civil, mental health, restraining orders, and other types of cases. The court also has an appellate division (composed of justices that sit in rotating panels of three) which reviews questions of law that arise from civil matters filed in the eight divisions of the department.

The court's history dates to 1822, the year in which Boston was chartered as a city. Two courts were established, both served by the same judges: the Boston Police Court, to hear criminal matters, and the Justices' Court for the County of Suffolk, to address civil claims. The two courts remained distinct until 1860 when the Justices' Court was abolished, and its civil jurisdiction transferred to the Police Court.

In 1866, the Police Court was abolished, and its records and jurisdiction transferred to the newly created Municipal Court of the City of Boston. In 1978, the Massachusetts Court Reform Act established the Boston Municipal Court Department as one of the seven departments of the Trial Court of Massachusetts. In 2003, the department expanded to eight divisions, after it was given authority by the Massachusetts Legislature over seven other Boston-based courts.

The Boston Police Court has the distinction of participating in the initial development of the modern concept of probation in the United States. In 1841 John Augustus, the "Father of Probation", persuaded a judge in the Police Court to give him custody of a convicted "common drunkard" for a brief period. The offender was ordered to appear in court three weeks later for sentencing. He returned to court accompanied by Augustus a sober man, his appearance and demeanor dramatically changed. The judge was so impressed with his sober and dignified appearance that he waived the usual penalty of 30 days in jail and instead levied a fine of one cent plus court costs ($3.76).